Having Patience

Hello World!
Please stay tuned as my site becomes re-purposed to chronicle one woman’s quest to lose weight while raising two children, and struggling to become a full-time freelance writer. Did I mention I have to also make cupcakes for my son’s school party, and learn how to pickle brussel sprouts?
The journey begins in fifteen minutes. As I write to you, I’m inhaling a Sweet and Salty Nut Granola Bar - Peanut Flavour. I need to get it all into my system now so I can cleanse it all away beginning tomorrow.
At any rate, in fifteen minutes my weight loss journey will begin. For real this time. I have goals, I have a plan, and now with my blog I have some accountability. Join me in the struggle that is weight loss, cheer me on, or watch from the sidelines; regardless of how you’ve come to my site, let the games begin.

Tags: how to lose weight, losing weight, weight loss

Hi all! The dust has settled around here, and I’m evaluating my first day. I’ve had 40 ounces of water - 8 more to go. And I”m on my way out for a brisk walk. Mission accomplished!

Now for the downside- I had 4 lemon cookies and about 6 Hershey’s kisses today. Not to mention a homemade pumpkin spice latte (made with Target brand pumpkin spice milk and 1 %). Oh, and I had too much toast at dinner.
I think it was okay as a first day, but not great. Oh well. We’re almost out of Kisses, and the lemon cookies are gone…

I do have willpower somewhere in there. I just haven’t exerted it yet.

Tags: food journal, weight loss

Heavy stuff - no pun intended.

Last week I realized my back was sore, my ankles hurt, and I just didn’t have any energy. I had a cold that lingered. When I finally had enough I was faced with the brutal reality. My lifestyle is making me sick.

My Struggle

I’ve been in this boat before; in fact, it’s a lifelong struggle. Six years ago when my first son was born, I had a lot of weight to lose. I started out optimistically and watched my diet (a strict 1200 calories a day) and exercised six days a week. And for a year and a half, I didn’t lose a pound. It was heartbreaking and depressing, and I thought I’d never fit my pre-pregnancy clothes again. But magically one day, the weight started to melt away and before I knew it I was even smaller than before I got pregnant. It was bliss. I continued to work hard for nearly three years, slowly chipping away at the numbers on the scale, and re-sculpting my body. And then we decided to have another baby.

When I found out I was pregnant with my second son, I had a moment of fear (ok, well more like nine months of fear). I never wanted to go through that all again, so I vowed to gain less the second time around. I worked hard all pregnancy, running until I was 7 months pregnant (and when the snow started to fly). I didn’t succumb to cravings (most of the time). When I came home from the hospital, I had only 10 pounds to lose; I was so proud. In fact, I could very nearly fit into my clothes again.

And then I started to gain weight. It seemed like every day I stepped on the scale, I discovered a new pound or two. With a new baby and a four year old in the house, I didn’t have “me time” for exercise. If I remembered to eat at all I considered myself lucky and when I did, I wanted something comforting. When I went to the doctor’s, I found out something I had all along suspected - I was hypothyroid to boot. So on top of the weight stacking on, I have to deal with a sluggish metabolism. I gave up for a long time.

The fact is, I don’t want to have to start all over. The exercise videos, the food journals, devoting countless hours to losing weight - I am so beyond all of this. I know what I need to do, but let’s face it -it’s much more fun to sit down with some ice cream and watch Survivor. This has been my attitude for the 21 months since my son was born. I still have that 10 pounds post-pregnancy to lose, and another thirty pounds besides. That’s a scary number.

So why bother?

Because I like me better when I feel like I’m being proactive about my health. Notice I don’t say thin. Working toward a weight loss goal is much more about getting your body healthy than it is about the numbers on the scale. A healthy body has energy. A healthy body lends itself to a powerful mind. And to get a healthy body, you need to put in the time. So, here I go.

Month One Goals

So, how does one get started on the process? Realistically it’s all about setting small, attainable goals over and over again until you have success. Implementing small changes frequently helps you to build a healthy lifestyle and body one step at a time. It doesn’t matter how small, as long as you’re constantly moving forward. The goals you set need to be:

** small. Big, sweeping changes aren’t lasting.
** realistic. I’m never giving up bread. Period. I will reduce the amount of bread I eat, and I can live with that.
** something you can live with forever.

You can’t make changes to your diet and exercise regime that you can’t live with for the rest of your life. It might work in the short term, but if you can’t keep it up, the weight will reappear. Also, never set your goals as the number of pounds or inches you’d like to lose. You’re setting yourself up for failure, because ultimately you have no control over how your body will react to the changes you make. Keep goals attainable by selecting only those for which you have complete control - like what you put into your body, or how much time you will spend exercising.
Trust that a positive change in your lifestyle will ultimately lead you to weight loss. No matter how quickly or slowly that happens, remember that all your hard work is an investment in yourself and your future health.

So what are my first goals? I like to pick one food and one exercise goal every week.
Week One Food Goal - Drink my water. Water is crucial to weight loss, especially for those coping with hypothyroidism. My plan is to drink at least 48 ounces of water a day this week - an increase of about 40 ounces a day.
Week One Exercise Goal - Exercise three times (Wednesday, Friday, Sunday). When you set an exercise goal, carve out the time in stone. If you don’t, you’ll always put it off until ‘tomorrow’.

Tags: how to lose weight, lose weight, weight loss

Dear Susan **:
Today you called me with a lot of questions about epidurals (the shot you get so you don’t feel anything “down there”, as you so aptly put it), sleeping through the night, and at what age we put our children into their own rooms. This can only mean one thing: you and your husband have had “the talk”, made a decision, and reality is setting in. I know you’re going to be looking for advice, and once you have a few things figured out, you’ll start hearing all sorts of advice you never asked for. That’s just the way it is sometimes.
First of all, let’s take a moment to discuss that. As soon as you reveal to the world that you are pregnant, your body will never be your own again. Not ever. As in never. I’m sure you somewhat expect this after the baby is born, what with breast feeding and carrying a child around nearly 24/7. What you might not expect though is that rubbing your belly for luck will become the favorite pastime of all those around you. You’ll get used to this in time.
And if you think you’re having nightmares now, wait until you hear all about Francie’s 36 hour labor, and the emergency C-section Beth had. Yes, everyone becomes an expert on childbirth the minute you’re pregnant. Don’t worry about after the baby comes either, because then, well, we’re all parenting experts too!
Next - your social life. I think it’s wise you’re doing all your traveling now. At risk of sounding like an expert myself, I have to say this decision is very wise. Though there’s nothing quite like seeing the Eiffel Tower with spit up on your shoulder, leaky boobs, and all the while on the emotional roller coaster that is motherhood (though I personally have never been to Paris, I have a vivid imagination combined with my own personal reality). Ahh yes, April in Paris post-baby will definitely take on a whole new meaning.
Your wardrobe - enjoy those cute little skirts and your gorgeous body now. And tell your loving husband to do same. If you’re like most of us, you’re going to enjoy stretch marks, cellulite, and thinning grey hair in a few short months.

Parenting changes everything in the blink of an eye. The most important thing you can remember is that no one can prepare you for what lies ahead. Having a child changes who you are fundamentally, and childbirth is truly one of the most profound experiences you will ever have (at least it is for me, to date). You will undoubtedly read a plethora of books on these subjects and feel prepared and ready. You’re not. And that’s okay. Really. Dismiss everything bad you hear about parenting, don’t think about the pain of childbirth, the post-baby flab, the sleepless nights. Because when you gaze into your baby’s eyes, hold him, and smell just how lovely he smells, none of it matters.

Don’t be scared about the pain, the flab, or the sleepless nights. These are not the things you’re going to remember. You’ll remember the good things only - the look in your husband’s eyes as he held your baby for the first time, the feeling of nursing and nurturing your child (whether or not you decide to breastfeed) while feeling exhausted and the bliss of bringing a happy, healthy baby home. These are the things that matter.

And as far as having baby at home goes - yes it changes everything. You won’t be able to dash out to the store anymore, but you’ll always have (for the next few years anyway) the most awesome snuggler on cold, rainy days. You’ll have a new pair of eyes watching everything you do with wonder - almost as much wonder as you’ll have watching her grow and become her own person.

Susan, sometimes it won’t seem like you’re making the right decision. You’ll probably have a moment or two when you wonder why the hell you just did what you did, and perhaps even wondering about a return policy (after a couple of sleepless months, we all think this). You’ll also have those moments when everything falls into place, and you’ll wish all of these moments could last a lifetime.

Oh, and Susan? You’re going to be a great mom.

____________________________________________________________________________________

** Of course there is a Susan! Except her real name has been changed to protect her identity because if I were in her place I wouldn’t want the world to know I was crazy enough to think about starting a family!

Tags: childbirth, Having Patience

Happy New Year, one and all. I can’t believe how long it has been since my last post. So many changes in my personal life as well. Funny, I never suspected having two children could be so hectic!
In an effort to get the year off to a positive start, I’ve decided to pick up my blogging efforts where I left them off. Look in the coming weeks for a new Having Patience!

Tags: random thoughts, Writing